Any proponent of competitive democracy and any advocate against one-party state would like to see the New Patriotic Party (NPP) remain strong and vibrant enough to keep the ruling National Democratic Congress on its toes. Probably, only a fanatical NDC sympathizer would like to see NPP become extinct in the current situation. The role of a strong opposition in a democracy cannot be overemphasized and without opposition, democracy becomes autocracy.

Many neutrals have recently begun to have sympathy for the NPP neither because the party deserves such nor because it is showing signs of deserving such any soon, but because it is the only party that is in a strong position to keep NDC on its toes-something the governing party itself needs to checkmate complacency. However, the question is: does the NPP have as much sympathy for itself? Apparently it doesn’t, because many of the party’s actions tend to de-market the party rather than promoting it.

No matter how well outsiders wish to see things go for NPP, it won’t be possible if the major stakeholders within the party are not willing to put their acts together. If there were other viable opposition options apart from NPP, majority of Ghanaians would most likely go for them and back any among them to become the major opposition party in the country. Alas! There is none and considering what it takes to build a formidable national political party or to transform a dormant one in Ghana, I can say, there would be none at least for the time being, except if an unforeseen miracle-like situation happens.

After the 2012 General Elections, the question on the lips of Ghanaians was: how would NPP manage its dual defeat? Others asked whether NPP would bounce back and if yes, how and when? The problem we are facing in Ghanaian politics is that political parties are almost solely judged based on electoral performance. Therefore, in the eyes of many, NPP would only be considered to have bounced back if it takes over from NDC at the next polls. From the look of things, NPP itself also narrowly look at things that way. The truth is, if NPP can still remain in existence, strengthen its organs, engage in massive grassroots membership drive and followership, give the nation a rebranded and innovative opposition, retain its Constituencies and win some elusive regions like Gt Accra, Central and Brong Ahafo and have a decent presidential election outing in 2016, that would be enough success. The NPP should not be exclusively looking forward to winning elections; it should think of ways it can set the standards and become the epitome of internal democracy, de-commercialization, and de-monetization of politics, inspiring political consciousness and awareness as well as ideology-based politicking.

Is NPP ready to bounce back? It depends on what we take ‘bounce back’ to mean. However, we take it the answer is, the party has the potential to bounce back, but it is not yet ready. Virtually, all of the actions and inactions of the NPP stakeholders since 2008 suggests that they are not ready to bounce back even in the next election years. When you find yourself in the midst of a self-inflicted mess, the least that is required of you to get out of that mess is to even believe that you are in a mess, sincerely acknowledge the role you played in putting yourself in that mess followed by genuine repentance.

Time and again, the NPP through many of its notable chieftains still boasts that it is the largest party in Ghana and it is still the only party that has presence everywhere including the remotest parts of the country. Even a small kid knows this is not true, but such is NPP’s arrogance even as an opposition party. When they were in power, they declared themselves the largest party in Africa without depending on any scientific yardstick. The NPP is presently a regional party confined mainly to the Ashanti and Eastern Region.

The NPP has been the biggest loser in all the decided cases by the election petition court so far. Instead of the party to tell itself some home truths, galvanize and see how they can salvage the situation to enhance their chances of winning the re-run elections, they are busy accusing the NDC and the presidency of influencing court judgments. Would NPP ever accept half of what transpired in Abuakwa South as elections if they were not the beneficiaries? It looks like NPP’s game plan is to continue with this propaganda to blackmail the courts into succumbing to their pressure and prevent them from doing their jobs adequately in future. If the party is not careful, some of the victories it recorded in some courts might be upturned after the cases might have been carefully reviewed in the appeal and supreme courts.

The way NPP has been lamenting its defeat in the 2012 elections is very funny. How many times have NPP actually won elections? If free and fair elections had been taking place, the party would have since become history, probably.

Almost two years after, the NPP has continued to call dissenting opinion holders in the party as betrayers, traitors, agents of Mahama and ingrates. Up till today, they have failed to move forward on this. Another disgusting habit of the NPP is boasting that there are no fence walls around the party and that members can exit. NPP are fond of making vague statements; nothing could have happened to Ghana’s democracy with or without NPP. Some NPP chieftains who have not completely lost touch with reality like their colleagues have admitted that the party has done so many political wrongs even if they refuse to agree that the party had failed to bring any meaningful discipline into the party.

It is a welcome development that the NPP organized a rise and build tour that was aimed at energizing and reshaping the party for2016 challenges. The problem, however, is that the aim of the rise and build tour seems to have been defeated already. Instead of NPP to concentrate on using the rise and build tour for self-assessment and strategies, speakers took turns and wasted useful time and energy in using it as an opportunity for bashing Afoko. There are and would be many upcoming tangible things to criticize Mahama’s government on, but NPP seem to be in a desperate hurry as if that is what will help it reclaim past glory by suspending Afoko without recourse to Law and Order.

The NDC is the least of NPP’s worries currently. NDC has many shortcomings and it will gather many more baggage as the journey continues, but no matter how bad the NDC becomes, Ghanaians may likely stick with it in 2016 if NPP refuses to truly reform itself and move away from its past. NPP should deal with itself and Ghanaians would do the rest by dealing with NDC. The NPP must be ready to present itself as an alternative which Ghanaians can trust in the event of an NDC failure. The NPP should look inwards and try to reform, re-shape and rebrand itself from a party with the image of impunity and cheating to that of justice and fairness and thereafter represent itself to Ghanaians. This would be better than mocking reality and the continuation to live in denial.